Cyclone Idai's death toll rises to 707; hundreds of thousands displaced

  • 27/03/2019

  • Thompson Reuters Foundation (TRUST)

Hundreds of thousands of people are in need of food, water and shelter after Cyclone Idai battered Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. As of Wednesday, at least 707 people had been reported killed by the storm, the flooding it caused and heavy rains before it hit. Following is an outline of the disaster, according to government and United Nations officials: MOZAMBIQUE Cyclone Idai landed on the night of March 14 near the port city of Beira, bringing heavy winds and rains. Two major rivers, the Buzi and the Pungue, burst their banks, submerging entire villages and leaving bodies floating in the water. Number killed: 468 Number injured: 1,500 Houses damaged or destroyed: 33,600 Crops damaged: 500,000 hectares Number affected: 1.85 million ZIMBABWE On March 16, the storm hit eastern Zimbabwe, where it flattened homes and flooded communities in the Chimanimani and Chipinge districts. Number killed: 179, according to government, which says 329 people are still unaccounted for. The U.N. migration agency puts the death toll at 259. Number injured: 200 Number displaced: 16,000 households Number affected: 250,000 MALAWI Before it arrived, the storm brought heavy rains and flooding to the lower Shire River districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje, in Malawi's south. The rains continued after the storm hit, compounding the misery of tens of thousands of people. Number killed: 60 Number injured: 672 Number displaced: 19,328 households Number affected: 868,895